Optimal Strategy

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Relationship Requirements

To apply for the Charles Schwab, Morgan Stanley, and the Goldman Sachs Amex Platinum cards, you need a relationship with the respective company. Ameriprise Financial encourages a relationship to get the card, but it's not enforced.

MR Signup Bonus (non-targeted offers)

The public offers for the regular, Mercedes-Benz, and the Charles Schwab versions are 60,000 point signup bonus after $5,000 in spend within the first three months.

The business version offers a 75,000 signup bonus after $10,000 in spend within the first three months.

The only variation that doesn't offer a signup bonus is Ameriprise Financial because the $550 annual fee is waived the first year.

Information about the Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs versions are not publicly available.

MR signup bonus and minimum spend requirements

Expected Value: Year 1

All of the variations of the Amex Platinum card have a $550 annual fee, except the Business Platinum and Ameriprise Financial.

The Business Platinum has a $450 annual fee and Ameriprise Financial waives the first year annual fee.

All of the cards come with a $200 airline incidental credit per the calendar year, so you effectively get two $200 credits the first year.

Each variation, except the Business Platinum, comes with a $200 Uber credit ($15/month, $35 in Dec).

After calculating the credits, the effective annual fee for each Platinum card is -$50. The Business version's effective annual fee is $50, and the Ameriprise Financial version is -$600.

Expected Value: Year X

After the first year, the annual fee and Uber credits remain the same. The only difference is that you will only receive the airline incidental credit once. Overall, the effective annual fee for each Platinum card is $150. The Business version's effective annual fee is $250.

Expected value: Year 1

Authorized Users

For the regular, Mercedes-Benz, Charles Schwab, and Goldman Sachs, you can add up to 3 authorized users for $175. Even if you add one authorized users, you'll still be charged $175.

Ameriprise Financial waives the authorized user fee in Year 1; $175 for up to three users to be applied in the second year.

Morgan Stanley gives you one authorized user for free and charges $175 for the next three authorized users.

The Business Platinum charges $200 per authorized user.

authorized users

Membership Rewards Earning Rate

All of the Amex Platinum variations earn 5x on flights booked directly or with Amex Travel and hotels booked on Amex travel.

The Mercedes-Benz card earns 5x on Mercedes-Benz purchases, so if you have the cash on hand, this is the optimal way to earn 5x on a car lease/purchase.

The Business Platinum earns 1.5x on all large purchases of $5,000 or more.

membership rewards earning rate

Super Powers

Each variation of the Amex Platinum has its own unique "super power."

Business Platinum

35% Rebate for selected airline (any fare)

35% Rebate for first/business class (any airline)

Ameriprise Financial

Earn 5,000 MR points for every $20,000 in spend, up to 30,000 additional MR points per year

Mercedes-Benz

$1,000 Mercedes-Benz certificate for purchase/lease after $5,000 in spend per year

$100 Mercedes-Benz certificate for accessories at each renewal

Excess miles waived for Mercedes-Benz lease; up to 2,000 excess miles waived at lease-end

Charles Schwab

Transfer MR points to Schwab at 1:1.24 rate

Morgan Stanley

Free first authorized user

Transfer MR to Morgan Stanley at 1:1 rate

Spend $100,000 and get $500

View the current Amex Platinum (regular) and Amex Business Platinum offers:

Apple and Goldman Sachs will partner to create a new iPhone-connected credit card set to launch later this year. According to the WSJ, the card will integrate with the iPhone to track spending, points, and help with budget management.

Booking a flight with the right credit card can make or break a trip, especially if unexpected delays happen. Missed connections or canceled flights can leave a hole in your wallet, and some airlines will only provide food vouchers and overnight accommodations if the delay with within their control.

There’s a misconception going around that the Amex Platinum card earns 5x on ALL hotel stays. To clarify, the Amex Platinum only earns 5x points when you book hotel nights through amextravel.com or the Fine Hotels and Resorts Collection (FHR).

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Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, vendors or companies, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

AskSebby Disclaimer: Content on AskSebby represents one individual’s experiences and viewpoints, and your experience may differ. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor a legal or tax professional. Articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. Research and obtain professional advice regarding all credit decisions before attempting to duplicate any of the techniques described on this website.